A Cornucopia of Sweets

Add a bountiful dessert table to your Thanksgiving feast

Thanksgiving dinner calls to mind roast turkey with stuffing and gravy, sweet potatoes, rolls and cranberries. But the holiday meal wouldn’t be the same without a variety of pies and pumpkin desserts.

My friend, chef Michel Richard, who started his career as a pastry chef, was once asked if dessert is necessary.

“I guess I would call dessert a necessary luxury or maybe a luxurious necessity,” he said.

While each family has their traditional Thanksgiving menu, desserts often change. This year, try some new ideas to provide a sweet ending for the holiday.

Early versions of pumpkin pie treated pumpkins like apples — they were sliced and sometimes sautéed with herbs and spices. I have included two of my favorite pumpkin pie recipes: One is a nondairy version that is similar to the traditional pudding type; the other, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie, is much lighter, but I always use the same pie crust for both.

Children will love the Frosted Pumpkin Cookies, and my family always looks forward to my Pumpkin Date Nut Bread, Pumpkin Bundt Cake and Pumpkin Fritters. The recipe for the Pumpkin Flan, which is nondairy, is from a friend, Meryl, who shared it with me many years ago.

Finally, it would not be Thanksgiving without a Chocolate Pecan Pie. (You can find this recipe and the Pumpkin Fritters recipe at tribejournal.com.)

Each of my recipes has a story and is a reminder of someone who has touched my life or shared their recipe with me. For a special treat, ask your guests to contribute to the dessert table and ask them to bring the recipe to share.